FLOW Africa: Living Labs

FLOW Africa with Anna Cowen and John Ziniades

The FLOW project is a two-year long, University of Cape Town African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) research project that took place in two South African municipalities – the Greater Kokstad Municipality in KwaZuluNatal, and the Bergrivier Municipality in the Western Cape, from August 2014 – September 2016. The project engaged out-of-work, out-of-school local youth – the FLOW Ambassadors – to build both individual and community capacity to thrive and innovate in the face of the growing challenges of climate change, resource depletion and inequality. Key activities included asset mapping, local storytelling on mobile phones, personal development, local government engagement and the introduction of two community currencies.

Initial Project Description

In this 34-minute exploration, Anna and John provide an overview of the project, the 2-year process, key insights, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and potential and documented impacts.

Video (or audio-only version)

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 2014, we had just published the book Ecosynomics.  We were exploring the integration of multiple forms of abundance-based agreements, as well as identifying positive deviants, groups achieving far-above-normal impacts through vibrant experiences.

Co-investment.  In this multi-year project, we co-invested in the development of innovative processes for engaging a community in its own regenerative capacity.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was learning about the challenges in complementary currencies and the very creative ways of engaging a community to engage its own creativity.

Further References

• project website — FLOW Africa (http://www.flowafrica.org)
• article — “Moving from Adaptive to Transformative Capacity: Building Foundations for Inclusive, Thriving, and Regenerative Urban Settlements” by Gina Ziervogel, Anna Cowen, and John Ziniades in Sustainability 2016, 8(9), 955.
• book — Fostering local wellbeing in South African communities
• blogpost — “An Abundance-based Approach to Fostering LOcal Wellbeing (FLOW)” — by Anna Cowen, Meshfieldco-founder, architect, urbanist, facilitator, and Vibrancy South Africa steward and John Ziniades, Meshfield co-founder, internet entrepreneur, engineer, facilitator, and Vibrancy South Africa steward
• YouTube — FLOW Ambassadors channel
• Twitter — @flowafrica
• Webinar — NetworkingAction.net webinar series on Large Systems Change, Steve Waddell with Anna Cowen and John Ziniades, October 26, 2015

YES — Youth Entrepreneurship and Sustainability: Living Labs

YES (Youth Entrepreneurship and Sustainability) —  with Luz Maria Puente Kawashima

The YES (Youth Entrepreneurship and Sustainability) project started in 2008, when Luz Maria Puente sat with YES Latin America leadership, as part of the iScale Strategy, Structure, and Governance Community of Practice, first in a Clarity Forum near Boston (USA) and then in Geneva (Switzerland), wondering if one could apply strategic systems mapping to a global action network.  They decided to start near home, with the YES Latin America network.

Initial Project Description

In this 23-minute exploration, Luz Maria provides an overview of the project, the 6-month process, key insights, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and potential and documented impact.

Video (or audio-only version)

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 2008, we were framing strategic systems processes in the context of global action networks.

Co-investment.  In this fieldwork with YES, a global action network, we co-invested our intellectual property of strategic systems thinking and the strategic processes of global action networks, and our social network of leaders inquiring into the strategic nature of global action networks.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was both the utility of the strategic clarity framework in the global-to-local setting of global action networks, as well as the strategic clarity gained by network leadership of their role in the evolution of complex networks.

Further References

• website — YES (Youth Entrepreneurship and Sustainability)
• article — “A New Tool for Complex, Multi-Stakeholder Global Networks: The Managing from Clarity Framework“by Luz Maria Puente and James L. Ritchie-Dunham

Banking Software Service Provider: Living Labs

Banking Software Service Provider with Annabel Membrillo

The Banking Software Service Provider project is a four-year initiative that took place in Mexico, from 2010 to 2014, within a large service provider (over 1,000 employees) within a global financial institution.  The initiative included hundreds of employees within the service provider and across other service providers, guided by dozens of consultants and facilitators.

Initial Project Description

In this 22-minute exploration, Annabel provides an overview of the project, the 4-year process, key insights, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and documented financial and social impacts.

Video (or audio-only version)

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 2010, we were developing processes for leading long-term, multi-phase strategic systems change processes with hundreds of individuals engaged, as well as developing processes and tools for ecosynomics.

Co-investment.  In this multi-year relationship, we co-invested our intellectual property of strategic systems thinking, ecosynomic agreements, and our social capital of relationships with leaders engaged in similar processes.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was to develop a long-term, multi-phase and multi-stream process for engaging increasing circles of embrace of abundance-based agreements.

Further References

• blogpost — “A Transformational Journey within a Corporate Ecosystem“
• radio interview — “CEO Series: CEO Perspective on The Impact of Building a Vibrant Organization” on VoiceAmerica radio hosted by Maureen Metcalf

SAPAL — Water Management System for Leon (Mexico) Metropolitan Area: Living Labs

SAPAL — Water Management System for the Leon (Mexico) Metropolitan Area with Annabel Membrillo Jimenez and Conrado Garcia Madrid

The SAPAL project is a 5-year initiative that took place in Mexico, from 2000 to 2005, with the leadership of a large governmental agency chartered with managing the water system of the metropolitan area of Leon (population 1.5 million) in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico.

Initial Project Description

In this 19-minute exploration, Annabel provides an overview of the project, the 5-year process, key insights, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and documented impacts.

Video (or audio-only version)

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 2000, we were writing the book Managing from Clarity, and strategic measurement into our strategic systems process.

Co-investment.  In this long-term project with the water authority of Leon (Mexico), we co-invested our intellectual property of strategic systems thinking and practical strategic  measurement systems.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was the use of strategic systems mapping within a strategic measurement system to lead change with multiple stakeholders.

Further References

• website — SAPAL
• case study (in English)
• strategic analysis (in Spanish) — internal analysis (executive measurement system and organizational structure) and external analysis (scenario planning)

JFK The American School of Queretaro: Living Labs

JFK The American School of Queretaro with Annabel Membrillo Jimenez and Conrado Garcia Madrid

The JFK project is a 15-year initiative that took place in Mexico, from early 2004 to now in 2018, with the leadership of a large K-12 private school in Queretaro, Mexico.  This school has to comply with the standards of the Mexican Secretariat of Public Education, as well as meet the standards of the International Baccalaureate program, and the accreditation standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Initial Project Description

In this 21-minute exploration, Annabel provides an overview of the project, the 15-year process, key insights, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and documented impacts.

Video (or audio-only version)

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 2004, we were developing processes for engaging large groups of diverse stakeholders in strategic systemic change.

Co-investment.  In this long-term relationship with JFK, we have co-invested our intellectual capital of strategic systems thinking and processes for large-scale systems change, and our social capital of relationships with Mexican leaders engaged in similar processes.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was the development of many specific tools and processes for engaging an ever-evolving community, while leadership and engagement shifted to incoming members of the community over the years.

Further References

• website — JFK The American School of Queretaro
• strategic systems report 2006 (in Spanish)

EAN Vermont–The Next Generation: Living Labs

Energy Action Network (EAN) Vermont–The Next Generation with Annabel Membrillo Jimenez

The EAN Vermont project is in its ninth year, from its initial inception through its strategic systems collaborative process, described elsewhere in the knowledgeable.  The new generation of leadership, recently engaged in 2017, reached out to engage Vibrancy in exploring how to re-embrace the systemic understanding and to re-invigorate the leverage point teams.

Initial Project Description

In this 10-minute exploration, Annabel provides an overview of the early stages of this revisiting of the strategic systems collaborative work, the due-diligence process, key insights for network governance, sustained work with the strategic systems understanding, and realignment of leverage point teams, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and documented impacts.

Video (or audio-only version)

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 2017, we were exploring the many ways in which large-scale systems change requires on-going strategic systems support, as the system evolves over many years.

Co-investment.  In this on-going relationship with the EAN effort in Vermont, we co-invested our intellectual property of strategic systems thinking and sustained support of systemic change, and our social capital of connections to other initiatives and foundations working with us on similar issues.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was developing new capacities for supporting long-term systems-change initiatives, as leaders come and go.

Further References

• website — Energy Action Network
• original strategic systems work and leverage points 
• webinar — Institute for Strategic Clarity “Innovations in Practice Series” with Annabel Membrillo

Mexican Financial System: Living Labs

Mexican Financial System with Luz Maria Puente Kawashima

The Mexican Financial System project, in 2012-2013, used strategic systems mapping to engage institutions across the Mexican financial system, including 42 stakeholder interviews from banks, non-banking banks, think tanks, academics, regulators, and insurers, from micro-financing to large financial institutions.  The intention, supported by co-investors UNIFIM, PWC, and the Institute for Strategic Clarity, was to see if it was possible to create a financial system that was healthier for all.

Initial Project Description

In this 19-minute exploration, Luz Maria provides an overview of the project, the 1-year process, key insights, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and potential and documented impacts.

Video (audio-only) version

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 2012, we were developing the ecosynomic approach to strategic systems issues involving diverse stakeholders.

Co-investment.  In this fieldwork in the Mexican financial system, we co-invested our intellectual property of strategic systems thinking and system dynamics simulation, and our social capital within the Mexican financial system.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was seeing how to engage a large, resource-rich system in shifting a whole system towards a deeper shared purpose that many leaders of the financial industry were able to understand and embrace.

Further References

• Project presentation — “Visión Sistémica de la Arquitectura del Sistema Financiero de México“

San Miguel de Allende — Urban and Regional Planning: Living Labs

San Miguel de Allende (Mexico) — Urban and Regional Planning with Conrado Garcia Madrid

The San Miguel de Allende project started in 2010 with the local chamber of commerce, exploring the development of San Miguel beyond its strong successes in tourism.  This multi-stakeholder project evolved by 2014 to include the governor’s office, exploring regional development of Guanajuato.

Initial Project Description

In this 22-minute exploration, Conrado provides an overview of this strategic systems work, the process with both groups, initial insights, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and documented impacts.

Video (or audio-only version)

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 2010, we were refining a framework and approach to integrating strategic systems processes with large groups of diverse stakeholders.

Co-investment.  In this large initiative, we co-invested our intellectual property of strategic systems thinking, large-scale collaborative systems change.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was in the development of processes for engaging local co-hosts throughout a community to co-lead collaborative processes, as well as refining of processes for bringing local governmental agencies and community leaders into a generative process.

Luz y Fuerza Mexico — Electric Utility: Living Labs

Luz y Fuerza Mexico — Electric Utility with Conrado Garcia Madrid

The Luz y Fuerza Mexico project started in 1999 with a leader in the engineering staff of Mexico’s electric utility.  Using GRASP mapping and system dynamics modeling, this project explores the interplay of supply and demand of equipment and staffing within the electricity distribution system.

Initial Project Description

In this 11-minute exploration, Conrado provides an overview of this strategic systems work, the process in gathering, validating, and sharing the initial insights, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and documented impacts.

Video (or audio-only version)

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 1999, we were integrating strategic simplicity with system dynamics simulation.

Co-investment.  In this fieldwork with the Mexican electric utility, we co-invested our intellectual property of strategic systems thinking and system dynamics simulation.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was field-testing ways to bring strategic clarity to working groups within complex organizations through relatively simple simulation models, with which the teams could play and generate their own strategic, systemic insights.

Further References

• Presentations — IEEE Acapulco 2000 conference and overview, in Spanish
• System Dynamics Model — in iThink — luzyfza.ITM and Modelo.ITM

Vehicular Congestion in Mexico City: Living Labs

Vehicular Congestion in Mexico City with Conrado Garcia Madrid

The vehicular congestion in Mexico City project was a thesis project undertaken by Conrado and Annabel Membrillo in their undergraduate program at the ITAM in Mexico City in 1995. The project included initial qualitative systems mapping, multi-stakeholder interviews to build and validate a system dynamics model, and strategic scenario planning.  This project ended in the creation of a governmental think tank to explore the questions opened by this undergraduate thesis projects, with which Annabel and Conrado graduated with honors.

Initial Project Description

In this 17-minute exploration, Conrado provides an overview of this strategic process, initial insights, key experiences or shifts in the participants, and documented impacts.

Video (or audio-only version)

ISC Live Lab Co-investment and Return on Co-investment

Context.  In 1995, we were just beginning to integrate strategic frameworks with system dynamics simulation.

Co-investment.  In this fieldwork, an earlier form of our research, at the ITAM in Mexico City, co-invested our intellectual capital of system dynamics simulation, strategic framing, and scenario planning.

Return on Co-investment.  The return on this co-investment was applying scenario planning to the strategic systems simulation process, engaging a wide set of stakeholders in validating the model, and developing a robust set of strategic policies for a complex social issue, in this case vehicular congestion in one of the largest cities in the world.

Further References

• PowerSim model, in Spanish
• Thesis, in Spanish